Laloo softens stand, says Mulayam is acceptable Thursday, April 29 2004 16:16 Hrs (IST)
New Delhi:
After blowing hot against Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday (Apr 28, 2004), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav today (Apr 29, 2004) softened his stand saying that he would be acceptable so long as he sided with the secular alliance.
"We will not accept his dictates or conditions. So long as he supports the secular alliance, it is all right. But, we will not tolerate any nuisance," the Bihar leader told 'Aaj Tak'.
The former Bihar Chief Minister said that if Mulayam "behaved well, there is no problem".
He, however, maintained that Mulayam was hand-in-glove with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and claimed that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had himself been saying that Mulayam was close to him.
Laloo's remarks come a day after he said that in case of a hung Parliament a non-BJP, non-NDA Government will be installed "minus Mulayam Singh Yadav".
He had categorically stated that Mulayam was not anti-BJP and therefore not a part of the secular alliance and ruled out taking his support for a majority. "He is not anti-BJP," he said.
To a question today as to who will lead the secular alliance, he said it will be Congress President Sonia Gandhi. "Only if she refuses, we will sit together and find out another person," he said.